Supply of vegetables like onions and potatoes has fallen in big cities including the financial capital Mumbai and national capital Delhi.

Potato prices in Delhi have risen 29 percent in a week, according to data compiled by the National Horticulture Research and Development Foundation.

PUNE: The truckers’ strike brought movement of sugar, from mills to the market, to a standstill, pushing up wholesale prices by close to 8% in two days in Mumbai.

The strike also affected chicken feed supply to poultry farms as supply cycle of soyameal from oil mills to poultry feed plants was disturbed, while onion prices declined in Maharashtra as the bulb is not leaving the state.

“Sugar prices jumped by Rs 2/kg as there are no supplies coming from mills. During the last 2-3 days, sugar prices were increasing everyday by 50 paise per kilogram,” said Ashok Jain, president, Bombay Sugar Merchants’ Association.

“Prices can move up further if the strike continues,” said Jain. The impact of strike is felt more in producing states said, Praveen Khandelwal, general secretary, Confederation of All India Traders.

“We have already started feeling shortages of grain and other kirana goods. As against 150 to 200 trucks of arrivals that we used to receive at Pune APMC per day, we are getting only about 15 to 20 trucks,” said Rajesh Shah, senior vice-president, Federation of Association of Maharashtra.

“The supplies to wholesale markets have dwindled. As retailers keep stock required for 15 days, the impact will be felt at retail levels after three to four days,” said Khandelwal.

Poultry sector has been adversely affected by the transport strike. Poultry feed makers depend upon continuous supply of maize and soyameal. As soyameal is available mainly from Indore and some parts of Maharashtra, the supply chain has been affected adversely.

The soyabean processors, on the other hand, complained that soyameal stocks have been increasing at their plants making further crushing operations difficult to carry on.

The supplies of vegetables and fruits haven’t been affected significantly as yet. Anil Chavan, secretary, Agricultural Produce Market Committee, Mumbai said, “The arrival and outgoing movement of fruits and vegetables has been normal in Mumbai.”

In Delhi, prices of tomatoes have doubled since the strike began on July 20.

“Tomato prices have increased from about Rs 15/kg to Rs 20/kg before the strike to about Rs 30/kg to Rs 40/kg at the wholesale market,” said Subhash Chug, vice chairman, Tomato Traders Association, Azadpur APMC. However, with the reduction in supplies from Maharashtra, a major factor for increase in price of tomatoes in Delhi is reduction in supplies from hilly areas of North India due to heavy rainfall.

Market committees from Nashik district, mainly trading in onions, have reported that stocks of about 4-5 lakh quintals have accumulated at the market yards as truckers are on strike. “This has put pressure on onion prices, which have declined by about Rs 2/kg,” said Jaydatta Holkar, chairman, Lasalgaon APMC.